The Limits of Life
by TheEndlessSaga
Summary: A story about how Erza and Jellal finally became a couple and about what ensues. We hope you enjoy and please review! :D
1. Followed

**We do not own any of these characters. Enjoy!**

Erza sighed as she let her heavy cart roll to a stop behind her as she stepped into the magically air-conditioned lobby of the hotel. She leaned her back against

the nearby wall, groaning at the sharp stinging pain in her bicep. Above her, a large wooden sign hung down by metal chains, the words '_Tiki Tiki Resort_' carved

into its splintered surface. The cool marble wall she was leaning against felt soothing against her shoulders and the arch of her back. She stood in the shadow of

her humongous baggage, as clothes and various other items stuck out between the rubber suspenders. A young man with tanned bronze skin, curly brown hair,

and a friendly smile that crinkled the corners of his yellow eyes, approached her.

"Welcome friend, to Tiki Tiki resort," he waved at the bag boy who stumbled forward and attempted to drag Erza's cart toward the elevator, without much

success. The lobbyist turned back to Erza and ushered her to the counter where he handed her a stack of papers to sign.

"So, a room for one person?" Rodney the lobbyist, as was written on his silver nametag, flashed her a toothy grin. Erza shook her scarlet locks.

"No, a room for three please?" she replied instead. On queue Mirajane waltzed in, a train of young gold-skinned surfers trailing behind her with her luggage piled

on their shoulders, and behind Mira Lucy shuffled in, huddling inside the tall grandfather clock. The big clock was dragging behind him two large suitcases

bulging with clothes. The people in the lobby gave them suspicious and somewhat shocked stares as the trio strode in. Rodney recorded their details in a

perfectly spherical crystalline lacrima and then pushed three identical silver keys in each of their hands.

"Thank you," Mira said with a kind smile and Erza nodded her head. Meanwhile Lucy was still in her clock so the clock spoke for her.

"Thanks Rodney! She says," the clock held the key for her.

The rooms were tidy and carried the scent of the sea. Erza inhaled deeply, savoring the unique smell of the ocean. She dissected the smell into fishy, salty,

watery, and sea weedy, though she preferred to leave the smell of the sea blended together, preserving it as a unit in her memory, relishing it whole. The sheets

were white with blue trimmings and there was four pillows placed on each king sized bed. There were a total of three feathered beds, and Lucy immediately

flopped down on the one in the middle and let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Finally we made it! I thought we were gonna walk for ever," the blonde said happily. Erza scowled sternly at her.

"You haven't walked a single step this whole way Lucy," Erza said disapprovingly, Lucy pouted at her and got up.

"Sitting can be exhausting too," she retorted as she noticed the view outside and ran to the veranda as golden strands of hair swayed around her face and her

round breast bounced upwards with every energetic step she took.

"Amazing! You can see so much from up here," she dangled over the edge of the balcony to get a better view, grinning to herself as the sunrays kissed her skin.

"Be careful Lucy, you'll fall," the white haired shape behind warned her. Lucy waved her hand in acknowledgement. Inside Erza was going through a pile of

swimwear that included everything from showing as much skin as possible to full body suits. She rummaged through and smiled as she pulled out a shimmering

yellow bikini with fiery red marks.

"Found it!" She stood up and undressed, slipping out of her shirt and lace underwear and into the skimpy revealing bikini pieces.

"Didn't that get destroyed last time we went to the pool?" Mira sang sweetly from the bathroom as she also adorned a deep violet bikini that accentuated her

pale curvy frame. Erza was busy fastening the clip at the back and looked at Lucy.

"I got it fixed straight after. My legendary bikini may be the single most important piece of attire I own." Lucy laughed as she remembered the embarrassing

events of that day. Erza shot her a deadly glare and Lucy instantly shut her mouth. She walked to her suitcase to get out her own swimsuit and started

changing. Mira and Erza picked out a couple of beach towels and headed toward the door.

"We'll meet you at the beach Lucy," Mira said over her shoulder as they left her to change. Lucy nodded and the door shut behind them.

The hot sun shone down on the sand making it scorching and painful to walk on. Erza and Mira were tiptoeing over the white grains carefully trying not to burn

their feet. Wanting to preserve her feet from heat blisters, Erza equipped her feet into leather boots. The sudden surge of magic that emanated caused her to

gain looks and stared from the people reclining nearby, including that of a certain blue haired individual who was sitting in a tree nearby. Surprised at seeing the

scarlet mage, he leaned forward and lost his balance, dropping down to the floor with a _thud_. Jellal rubbed his posterior, he could already feel a bruise beginning

to blossom at the point of impact. He quickly scrambled up the tree again to confirm whom he had just thought to have seen. His suspicions were confirmed as

he looked at the busty redhead spreading out a towel on the white sand. He shuffled forward a bit on his branch to get a clearer view but stayed back far

enough for the canopy of emerald leaves to still hide his presence. With the foliage filtering out the persistent sunlight, he studied the two Fairy Tail mages in

cool comfort but what he saw next made his face turn a crimson red, his ears almost steaming: the white haired girl, Mira, was rubbing sunscreen on the other's

back. The top of Erza's bikini was lying underneath her, undone, as she lay on her stomach, revealing her flawless back, to let Mira apply the pale lotion. Then he

saw a blond headed girl run towards the two girls in a hurry. When she reached them she bent over to put her hands on her knees panting heavily. Jellal

continued his stalking from the perimeter of the sandy beach, watching how the group of girls splashed into the clear water, until a voice brought him out of his

daze and sent him toppling out of the tree once again, this time landing face first. Spitting out a mouthful of sand, he turned to face Ultear's grinning

expression.

"What would your fiancé say," Ultear scolded jokingly, extending a hand and pulling Jellal to his feet, and then playfully punching him in the shoulder. Jellal

glared at her with poisonous green eyes, pursing his lips in a thin red line, trying to mentally force back the heat the rose to his cheeks in embarrassment.

"I-I was just keep a look out for the magic disturbance," he insisted turning back to the waves that lapped against the shell-spangled shore.

"And? Did you feel or see anything?" Ultear asked, serious now. Jellal shook his head.

"Nothing. Not since we arrived here yesterday," he admitted, furrowing his elegant brow.

"Hmm, maybe Meledy's feelings were off when she sensed the magic disturbance coming from here, maybe it came from further east," Ultear suggested,

tucking a stray strand of plum hair back behind her white ribbons.

"No I don't think so, something about this resort seems off. Speaking of which, where is Meledy?" Jellal wondered out loud. He hadn't seen the pinkette since

breakfast this morning. Ultear lifted a slim finger and pointed seaward. Jellal clucked nervously when he saw Meledy's pink hair bobbing in the water, only a few

meters away from where Erza was bathing.

"Damn, we have to get Meledy away from there. Erza can't know we are here!" Jellal said.

"Why?" Ultear asked.

" Well...because…" he stared blankly at her for a few seconds, "we just do! Come with me. Quick," Jellal grabbed her arm and dragged her through the trees in

the direction of Meledy. When they reached the edge of the trees they could see her swimming in the water and laughing loudly as she tried to catch little

rainbow fish.

"We have to get her over here somehow," Jellal said as Ultear watched him in quiet amusement.

"You could just go out there and get her," Jellal shot Ultear a glare and a slight blush tinted his face. Then he turned his face towards the girl in the water again.

"I cannot endanger Erza any more than I already have. She cannot be seen with someone like me. I am a fugitive Ultear," he reminded his friend, sorrow lacing

his velvet voice as he spoke. Her face softened then into a gentle gaze.

"You know it does not matter to her," Ultear spoke in a soft voice. Jellal closed his eyes in recognition.

"It matters to me, I will not be the bringer of her misfortune," Jellal replied as he stayed adamant in his decision.

And so, once they had succeeded in getting Meledy out of the water by using various extensive hand gestures, Jellal concluded that if he could not be with Erza

directly, he would protect and watch her from his place in the shadows, day and night.


	2. Trapped

Four sunny days passed and Jellal kept watching over Erza faithfully at a distance. At this very moment he was slumped against the window that led to Erza's

balcony, a thin linen curtain separating him from the others. It was sunrise, the sun rising in the distance, beams of light flooding past the horizon and painting

the lightening sky shades of blazing orange and yellow. Then a sound came from inside the room and Jellal's eyes snapped open, hearing someone coming alive

in the room he disappeared quickly into the shadow of the trees that covered the foliage strewn ground below the terrace. Erza stretched her arms as she sat up

in her bed, the silky sheets covering her smooth legs. She looked at the balcony window for several seconds believing to have noticed a human shape dashing

away. She shook her head and got up to wash up in the bathroom. After her hot shower she came out of the door, bring steaming pools out into the bedroom

with her. She walked to her luggage a short towel covering her shapely body. She rummaged through her luggage and quickly changed into her running clothes.

She pulled her red hair into a high pony tail and went outside, a water bottle at her side, oblivious to the shape following her in the distance.

Erza jogged up the short dirt track, the pebble strewn path leading her deeper into the heart of the damp tropical rainforest. Somewhere to her right Erza heard

the screech of a parrot and the chirp of a foreign insect. She sighed at the humidity clouding around her, small curls of hair sticking to her temples, sweat mixing

with dewy pearls in her skin. She took a turn, then pain shot through her leg as a beam of magic threw her into a tree trunk, making her sink to the floor on one

knee clutching the painful wound. Four hooded figures surrounded her and leaned over her imposingly. Their faces were covered with black masks with gold

carvings. The patterns of gold varied on each mask, there was only thin slits for their eyes. A cold chuckling surrounded her sending shivers down her spine.

"Hoo? What do we have here? A Fairy, the queen of them no less, Titania..."

Erza glared at them furiously.

"Who are you?" She said defiantly. The shape in front of her giggled darkly.

"Hah-hah you don't need to know that Fairy. Soon you won't able to flutter your pathetic wings anymore," her attacker seethed. She gritted her teeth at him,

stifling a cry as the wound throbbed painfully.

"You're cowards! You ambush me instead of facing me in battle!"

The hooded figure standing at the front of the group sneered,"but that wouldn't be any funny." From the palm of his gloved hand he created a deluge of dark fog

that curled towards Erza at lightening speed. Erza braced herself for the pain, the tendrils of fog inches from her shaking body, when another body slammed into

her from the side. The next instant Erza felt strong hands carrying her away. Her eyes fluttered open and stared into the blinding sunlight. Once she'd gotten

accustomed to the light her eyes spread in surprise.

"Jellal!" she gasped. The blue haired man with the red tattoo on his cheek was frowning down at her worriedly.

"We have to get you somewhere safe and then I'll explain," he stated, continuing to sprint back towards the hotel. He only slowed down once he felt his feet sink

into the hot sand of the beach, where people had started spreading out along the coast, soaking up the pleasant warmth of the sun. Erza protested for Jellal to

put her down in the lobby, but he refused, his grip on her bad and her thighs firm.

"You're hurt," he muttered, turning his eyes towards the gash on her leg as he pressed the button for the elevator. The elevator arrived with a _ring _and his feet

carried them both in.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," Erza shrugged. The cut was several millimeters deep and an ample amount of blood oozed from the gap, staining her skin red, and an

ugly green-yellow-purple bruise flowered on her porcelain skin. Jellal raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Erza starred as the elevator flew past her floor and stopped

on the tenth floor instead. She wondered if she should say something just as they arrived at a cream colored door. Jellal stuck a key into the lock of his room,

hearing the rasp of metal on metal, and entered the large suite. Through a short narrow corridor the room spread out into an open airy sweep. The wall straight

ahead was replaced with a great polished window, on the far right of the room stood a double bed, embellished with gold-blue stitched pillows and gold trimmed

blankets. To the left there was a white leather sofa and a glass coffee table, which were both stationed on a plush light blue rug, and a colorful array of

magazines and fruits spread over the latter. Jellal plopped Erza on the large bed and shuffled back into the corridor which hid a door, leading into the bathroom.

He appeared shortly with a range of medical supplies and kneeled beside Erza's wounded leg, which dangled off the bedside. As Jellal busied himself cleaning her

wound, Erza couldn't repress the curiosity she felt to ask all the questions that filled her brain.

"Why are you here?" Erza winced as the alcohol of the disinfectant trickled into the wound.

"Crime Sorciere is tracking a magical disturbance we felt originating close to this resort," Jellal replied shortly. Erza nodded and proded him again.

"Do you think the group that attacked me were the ones that caused the disturbance?" She investigated

"Possibly. They did have a high magical aura around them," Jellal threw a blood stained tissue into the nearby bin and started applying the bandages.

"Do you know who they were?" Erza mumbled, tracing the bandage with her finger while Jellal washed his hands in the bathroom sink.

"They wore a guild mark that I've never seen before. Maybe they're a new dark guild," he shouted from the bathroom before returning to sit on the bed beside

her. Erza couldn't help but let her eyes stray over Jellal's chiseled abdominal and sculpted arms, until they drifted down to the clasp of his swim shorts. She

jerked out of her daze and turned her face to hide the embarrassment that warmed and rushed to her cheek bones.

"How did you find me?" Erza turned back to his angular features. Jellal's face drained of all its color as he averted his eyes and fidgeted with a loose string at the

hem of his grey shorts.

"I-I..." he mumbled, this was the question he had been dreading, "I might have been following you." He whispered the words so quickly and quietly under his

breath that Erza had to strain her ears to hear properly.

"You followed me? For how long?" Her voice rose an octave in surprise. He could feel the blood drain out of his face making him slightly dizzy.

"For the past four days, I knew that approaching you might cause trouble for you," he squeaked. She furrowed her brows, he looked at her face but he couldn't

make out what she was thinking from her expression.

"So in the end you decided to follow me around and sleep on our balcony?"

Jellal was in shock at the statement and he started waving his hands around in panic. His sentences became incoherent and he felt like he would fall onto the

hard floor any second from shame.

"H-how did you know? I-I made sure to jump down w-when you woke up," he blubbered. For a while, Erza stared at him with her brows drawn together in a

concentrated frown until a soft chuckle escaped her full flush lips.

"I didn't know for sure until now, but you have just confirmed my suspicions. I thought I noticed something disappearing on the balcony every morning, but it

was always gone before I could make sure. I assumed I imagined it. Don't worry so much Jellal, I understand," she smiled at him kindly. The blue haired man

slumped to the floor in both exhaustion and relief, he let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes to stop his head from spinning, pinching the bridge of his nose

with his thumb and forefinger. Erza knelt down next to him in a hurry.

"Jellal? are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked him with genuine worry. He simply waved away her concern, too tired to do much else.

"I'm fine," he breathed. The scarlet head let out a sigh of relief and looked outside. The sun was already sinking low in the sky.

"If you're alright then I will return to my room, I must admit I lost quite a bit of blood and I feel a bit light headed. We can talk about this later." He nodded and

stood up slowly, swaying slightly as he regained his balance. Erza walked towards the door and grabbed the shimmering gold door handle, she pushed down and

applied pressure but nothing happened. She tried again with more force but the door wouldn't budge an inch. She turned back to the tall man behind her and

cocked an eyebrow at him in question.

"Wait, let me try," he said and grabbed the handle. The door rattled under his grip as he shook it violently and failed. Meanwhile Erza was getting impatient and

crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"What is the meaning of this?" She asked imposingly. He put his hands up in defence. From the other side of the door they heard a giggle.

"Mira?" Erza asked slowly, recognizing the sweet high voice. The giggling subsided and a shuffling could be heard behind the door.

"Erza, it's about time you two lovebirds got together he-he, we blocked the doors and windows, so you won't be leaving anytime soon," Mira tried to the contain

the laughter, as her sidekicks rolled on the floor laughing. Erza and Jellal both blushed furiously.

"What have you done! I'm leaving this room one way or another even if I have to go through a wall," the red head held true to her words and attempted to

smash the wall with her fist. Glowing ripples bounced of the surface and spread across the walls. Erza cursed under her breath and tried again using more force.

She summoned a heavy hammer to her hand and clashed it on the barrier. This time the magical waves that passed through the whole room shook at the impact

but the wall remained intact.

"Give it up you two, there's a barrier around the room there's no way out," Ultear's deep calm voice resonated from behind the door. Jellal glared at the door

darkly.

"Ultear!" He said angrily. A soft snickering could be heard. Suddenly a glowing magic circle appeared behind them and a shape appeared bowing respectfully to

them. It was Capricorn, one of Lucy's famous celestial spirits of the twelve zodiac gates. He was accompanied by a small cart covered in various silver platters

containing food.

"Tonight, I am at your service milady, milord," the goat like spirit nodded to them and bowed again separately to each of them formally.

"Explain yourself Capricorn!" Jellal demanded loudly. Capricorn was holding one hand in front of his chest and one behind his back, as per his usual stance. He

turned to Jellal and looked at him politely with his dark sunglasses.

"I am simply here under Lucy-sama's orders, I am to make, and I quote, your evening as enjoyable as possible and create a romantic atmosphere," Erza's eyes

spelt murder at Capricorn's explanation. The human-like goat ignored her murderous aura and continued to set the table in the room calmly. He placed two large

white plates and shimmering silver cutlery on the transparent glass, as well as lighting some pearly white candles in the center. The flames flickered, licking at

the darkening light in the room, creating dancing shapes on the white surface of the couch. Erza stood near the door for a while, her arms crossed in front of her

chest, until Capricorn grabbed her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, she hammered her fists against his muscular back, and

placed her on the opposite side of Jellal who was already seated. "Dinner is served," Capricorn gestured to the copious amounts of food piled on the table. There

was a multitude of different seafood dishes: Grilled Halibut with Peach and Pepper Salsa, Southwestern-Style Shrimp Taco Salad, Tuna Noodle Casserole, and

Crab Cakes with Spicy Rémoulade. Both lovers looked at the food for a minute, still pouting at being kept prisoner in a hotel room, but their temptation got the

best of them and they started shoveling the food in their faces.

**1 Hour Later**

Erza gulped down the rest of her strawberry cake, and Jellal slurped his chocolate ice cream. The scarlet-head let out a satisfied sigh.

"I hope everything was to your liking?" Capricorn asked. Erza glared at him her cheeks a fiery red from the wine.

"No, we are stuck in this room with no way out, everything is certainly not to my liking," she shouted. "Although there are some benefits…" she stole a glance at

Jellal and then quickly looked back at Capricorn, "like the food."

"Then I will be taking my leave, I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight. Wink-wink," he winked behind his shades while saying the words aloud. He then

disappeared into his spirit gate with one last bow to the pair of them. For several minutes the couple shared an awkward silence until Erza spoke.

"We should sleep, it's late," she said. Jellal nodded in response, they stood and looked at the lonely bed in the chamber. Again silence reigned over them.

"I will sleep on the floor, I don't mind," Jellal said. He went to get the spare blanket in the closet on the far side of the room when he felt something tugging his

sleeve. Erza was holding it gently as she looked at the back of his blue head with a slightly reddened face.

"There's enough space for the both of us…" she said in a soft voice. The alcohol brought out a more daring side of her. Jellal refused to turn around as a blush

was creeping on his face.

"But I-," his sentence was cut off by Erza.

"But nothing, we slept in the same prison cell as kids and held each other for warmth. This is no different. Why would you have to suffer on the cold floor?" Erza

turned towards the bed and equipped a short nightgown that ended just above her thighs. The silk nightgown was tinged a deep purple that complimented her

creamy complexion, it had a dangerous plunging neckline encrusted in white flowery satin and white ribbon tied around her small waist. Jellal's face dropped

when he saw the gown. He trudged toward the closet and pulled out his pyjamas and changed in the bathroom. He hesitated at the door to the bedroom, as he

looked down at his childish sleepwear. He cautiously stepped into the room and was bombarded with a fit of hysterical laughing when Erza saw his clothes. The

pyjamas consisted of a long button up shirt and pants, and was colored in a baby blue with small yellow ducks printed over the entire outfit.

"Do not laugh! This is a gift from Meledy. She gave it to me on my birthday. I have worn it ever since," he explained to her. Erza's gaze softened then into a kind

smile after her bout of laughter. She turned around and crawled into bed, exhausted from the days events. Jellal could see that her breathing slowed almost

instantly into sleep. He hesitated next to the bed, afraid to disturb her rest.

"Come on Jellal, I told you it was fine," Erza yawned. He hesitated but climbed under the sheets of the bed carefully nonetheless. He made sure to stay on his

side of the bed as he fell asleep.


	3. Kissed

The soft taps of the rain on the window caused Jellal to open his jade eyes onto a muted grey sky. He took a deep breath, followed by a long exhale with the

kind of expression on his face that you would only see on someone who had achieved absolute peace. He then noticed a warm shape wrapped in his arms and

looked down to check what it was.

_E…Erza? Oh crap, oh crap, crap, crap, what have I done? She's going to kill me! _He screamed in his head and looked around in utter panic trying to find a means

of escape. He then steadied his breath and calmed his nerves. _Okay… I will remove myself carefully and slowly; I have had plenty of experience with stealth. I _

_can do this! _He started to move his arms slowly from under Erza, trying his best not to awaken her. He had almost succeeded in his stealthy quest until her eyes

snapped open like a beast aroused from slumber. For a while she lay there motionless, staring at nothing in particular until her eyes started roaming slowly

upwards analyzing the image in front of her, seemingly taking in any bit of information she could find. Then she reached his eyes with her almond brown ones

and a dark aura started radiating from her. Jellal broke out in a cold sweat and attempted to explain himself but no words came out. After receiving a deadly

stare for some time he finally got the sense to let go of her and jump out of the bed. Erza slowly sat up in the bed still staring at the spot where he had been.

She then turned her head slowly in his direction and an even more terrifying gaze hit the blue haired man. He whimpered quietly and ran into the bathroom

quickly locking the door behind him. He heard a voice behind the door speak coldly.

"Hey, what are you doing? Get back here and apologize for waking me up," Erza said, anger drenching her words. At her question he froze, _waking her up…? _He

felt the door tremble underneath his fingers as Erza knocked loudly. He slowly unlocked the door to find a very annoyed Erza with hands crossed in front of her.

"I was having the best sleep, and you had to go and wake me up!" She exclaimed loudly. Jellal stared at her uncertainly.

"You're mad because I woke you?" He asked carefully. She gave him a look of ticked off confusion.

"Yes Jellal, why else would I be?" She asked. He opened his mouth to reply when he was suddenly swept away by hard rubble. Erza instinctively equipped into

her armor to protect herself. Jellal lay coughing as dust particles swirled down his lungs. The entire left side of the room was blown away and replaced by a large

hole, thick drops of rain beat down through the opening and splashed on Erza's face, the bricks had been reduced to small stones and were now scattered

throughout the room

"Are you alright?" Erza asked worriedly and rushed to his side. He nodded to her and got to his feet slowly.

"I'm fine, I managed to put up a barrier before there was too much damage," he replied huskily. Erza changed into her purgatory armor, dark spikes protruding

from the metal covering her body as well as the thick sword in her hand. Jellal cautiously crept towards the gaping mouth of the hole and peered outside into

the sheets of rain that fell from the sky. On the ground, a scary drop several meters down, four silhouettes stood out against the white grains of sand. One of

the figures shaped a grey orb of smoky tendrils in his palm and threw it at the hotel's foundation. The impact shook the building, windows shattered and objects

bounced from their positions on shelves and tables. Erza placed one armored hand on the wall for balance as she dodged a flying piece of apple. She dashed

toward the makeshift door and leapt toward the attackers. She thumped onto the floor, a ripple of air spreading out from the impact zone and knocking the

smoke mage of his feet. She brought her spiked sword toward the mage on the floor. As it rang through the air toward him, the mage blasted her with a cloud of

grey fog that sent her sliding backward. She dug her heels into the soft earth to prepare her next attack. She got into her battle stance, the sword by her side

held by both her hands. She clasped it tightly as she charged forward with high speed; adrenaline pumping through her bloodstream and making her heart beat

against her ribs, she let out a fierce battle cry. She sped towards her target and brandished her weapon when she was within reach. It was about to slash his

abdomen, the weapon inches away from his chest. Her mouth fell open slightly as the man surrounded the weapon in thick black smoke, her attack nullified. The

weight in her hands disappearing. The hooded man had shattered her blade to dust inside the case of suffocating grey smoke. She heard a dark snickering as

the smoke crept up the hilt of the sword reaching her hand. She pulled away and jumped a few steps back to get out of his scope. She looked at the place where

her weapon had been and contemplated what to do next.

From the edge of her gaze, Erza saw a white haired figure standing face to face with another masked demon, the golden swirls on his mask almost glowing in

the eerie light. Mira closed her thick lashed eyes and a soft pale light sent her hair fluttering around her face. The pale mist crawled up Mira's body, covering her

in a white armor that was accentuated with navy blue and was topped off with a long sleeved cloak, two belts strapped around her waist and under her

cleavage. Her angelic face turned into the vision of a beautiful demon, with blood red lips and ethereal blue-violet eyes. She stalked towards her opponent,

flames trailing in her wake, who wavered under Mira's poisonous stare. Pushing off of the ground Mira floated in mid air, a gust of wind stifling her voluminous

mane, then she thundered toward the masked man, her curled fist finding his face. The man was sent back and sprawling across the ground, his facade

crumbling down around him, shards of black and gold, to reveal a malicious face. Mira estimated that he was in his mid-thirties, he had sallow skin that showed

of his sharp prominent cheekbones and lifeless grey eyes encompassed with mauve rings. The unmasked man spat on the ground, a little blood splattering and

staining the earth, and clambered to his feet. He raised a thin bony finger at Mira, a black flame crackling from its tips, and planted his feet firmly in the soft

ground. He sent a tinted flame toward the demon. Mira shielded the flames with her forearm, which effectively blocked the searing heat, but her attacker threw

flame after flame at her body. Under the metal plates of armor Mira could feel her temperature hitching slightly and causing beads of sweat to collect at her

temples. She'd had enough. Rising in the humid air she let her body soak up all her magic energy, she felt it seep into her bones and muscles, and plastered a

sly grin on her face as the tongues of her flames licked tufts of her hair. Inches from the man's face she kicked out her leg, her boot connecting to his jaw with a

crunch that sent him flying into the air. At the peak of his glide, Mira brought her fist down on his chest and slammed him to the ground. A cloud of dust and

sand filled the air around the meteor sized crash site. Mira landed next to the motionless mound that lay in the pit and glared down at his slim form.

"What do you want here?" She bellowed. The defeated mage flipped onto his back with his lips pressed into a thin crisp line.

"Why should I tell you?" He quipped back. The smirk that spread across his face next was quickly wiped away by the fist Mira slammed into the earth next to his

head. She leaned in; her scarlet lips close to his ear.

"I can be very persuasive," she whispered. The nameless man started, his dead eyes glowing with a tinge of fear.

"We're the Soulless…" he began.

"Who are the Soulless?" Mira questioned.

"We are a new dark guild…"

"And what do you want from the resort?"

"The orb...the Orb of Odium," the wisps of air that left the mans chest became thinner and thinner and his eyes drooped closed as he fell into unconsciousness.

A few paces away, Jellal was facing his own opponent. He stood there calmly, taking in the shape in front of him. When the hooded form made no motion to

move Jellal decided to test the ability of the other. The blue haired man fired several beams of light towards the shape. The light arched in the sky as it headed

for the target. One by one they hit the ground, pounding the sand with force and sending it flying through the air. The figure dodged them skillfully, not wasting

any movement. _This might be tough… _Jellal thought as he observed his opponent.

"Now… I think it's about time I took care of you," the figure said, the voice seemingly female. Jellal furrowed his brows and prepared himself for impact. The

woman revealed a slim arm surrounded by tightly fitted gloves that reached to her shoulders. She stretched the palm of her hand towards him, and even though

he could not see it he could sense that she was grinning broadly under her mask. For a while he stood still waiting for her attack, he grew restless after nothing

happened for some time. When he noticed her intention it was already too late. His only clue was the immense magical pressure building up in front of him. He

raised a shield as strong as he could muster around his body and jumped back as far as he could to prevent damage. As he was doing this, a strong magic

fluctuation in space occurred from where the pressure originated. The attack was heavy, he knew it was a magic attack devised to cause heavy damage in one

blow; magic that had been concentrated into a single point was now heading straight for him. When it hit him the ground trembled and a cavern was blasted

into the earth beneath him. His silhouette disappeared out of sight as the dust flew everywhere. The woman gave out a laugh of triumph and turned to leave.

"Heavenly body magic; Grand Chariot!" She heard, before being hit by blinding light from above, she collapsed to the floor; her mask broken and her cloak

tattered.

"Never turn your back to your enemy," he said, crouching next to her, she whimpered faintly trying to protest but ultimately lost consciousness before being able

to utter a word. He heard steps behind him as Erza and Mira walked into the scene of destruction. Erza was limping slightly, and Jellal rushed to her side,

strapping her arm over his shoulder and support her weight with his hand around her waist.

"I am fine Jellal," she said and tried to push him away, but he held her tight. She stopped struggling and smiled softly on the inside. Then Rodney ran out of

what was left of the building and looked around wildly like a hare until he noticed Erza and her team. He rushed to them and grabbed Mira's hand firmly and

shook it up and down.

"Thank you! Thank you so much, you have saved us!" He praised. Mira looked at him in astonishment and quickly returned to her original form.

"They were after an orb, an orb that is supposed to be located here. You wouldn't happen to know anything about it would you, Rodney?" She asked

suspiciously. He hung his head down shamefully and his face contorted into an image of regret and spite.

"Sadly yes, that would most likely be Odium, the very embodiment of hatred. It has caused us, this family, much grief and I would like nothing more than to be

rid of it," He said sadly. Erza studied the lobbyist from the comfort of Jellal's arms.

"What is so special about this orb?" She wondered.

"I don't know too much about it honestly. From what my late father told me Odium is a powerful artifact created in the embers of loathing many years ago. It is

said that the orb draws out the hatred of its owner and turns it into power. The power the owner gains corrupts their heart and turns them into mere shadows of

himself. Everyone has hate, everyone can be corrupted…" he trailed off, "it is said that one day there will be one who will wield the power of Odium and

overpower the darkness in the core of the thing. That is presumably how the legend goes, personally I don't believe in this kind of hullabaloo though." The Fairy

Tail mages blinked, coming out of their dazes.

"Then do you know these people that attacked you?" Erza asked and gestured towards the bodies collapsed on the floor. Rodney looked at the scene and

cringed.

"I have not the faintest idea, they look awfully evil though harh harh harh!" He laughed sadly. Then his face became serious and he reached for something in his

pocket and took out a satchel.

"This contains the orb. I can't risk taking out it out because it may consume my heart and soul!" He said fearfully. The fairies gasped and stared at the satchel.

"I want you to take it, please, I know you are capable, and I know you are good, you will surely protect it from the wrong hands," he cried dramatically. Mirajane

extended her hand and Rodney placed the egg-sized orb into her palm.

"We will honor your wishes," Mira sang, while Erza attempted to protest but was dragged away by an overly concerned Jellal.

"Thank you, again," Rodney smiled, the smile reaching and warming his eyes, "please, let my staff see to your wounds and stay for a home cooked meal. You've

done so much for my family and this establishment." He waved toward the door and the exhausted mages trudged inside with Rodney at their feet.

After getting her injuries treated and grabbing a bite to eat, Erza ducked out of the dining room and went for a stroll down the coast. The waves foamed at the

edges when they slapped the shore, washing up tiny shells. She followed a steep track wadded with brambles that led to a grassy shelf looking out onto a cove.

The cove was a circular inlet of dark swirling water that lapped and smashed against black rocks, slippery with weed. The left side of the cliff sloped down into a

glen filled with an exquisite array of tropical flowers and a small bubbling stream. Letting her feet dangle over the lip of the ledge Erza thought about the day's

events. Letting violent scenes of the battle replay in her mind. After their raid and defeat at the resort, the Soulless were escorted to prison. Erza was so caught

up in a world of her own thoughts that she didn't hear Jellal making his way towards her. She choked in surprise as he plopped down by her side.

"Jellal! You scared me," she punched him playfully on the arm and he cringed in mock pain. They both laughed, it was painful as her ribs ached but the release

of her pent up tension made her feel more at ease.

"A lot on your mind?" Jellal had meant it as a question but it sounded more like a conformation. He peeked at Erza from the side. She nodded, her hair falling

forward to create a red screen between them. The ribbons of light from the descending sun engulfed the heavens in fire and highlighted Erza's soft features, her

hair flaming in the light entranced Jellal. He etched the image in his mind. She spoke, but he couldn't make out her words as he ogled her luscious lips. His eyes

traced the full outline of her lips, then they drifted to her chocolate brown eyes, her flushed cheeks, and the base of her soft jaw line. He wanted to be closer to

her, feel her warmth under his fingers. He was so lost in her grace that he didn't notice her staring back at him.

"Jellal? What's wrong?" She asked, worry creating a crease between her brows. He blushed at being caught gawking and turned his face away out toward the

sunset

" Nothing, I'm fine, no need to worry," he added hastily.

"How long is it going to take until you're honest with me?" She whispered, her voice impaired with hurt and anger. Jellal felt his heart sink painfully to the pit of

his stomach as he saw her expression. He hated hurting her. A strong fresh gust from the ocean that carried the familiar salty aroma blew into him, sending

curls of ice through his bones, and making him lose his balance. He grabbed on to the silky fabric of Erza's dress to catch himself but instead pulled her down

the slope with him. They tumbled onto the valley floor, entwined in each other's arms, until they came to a stop among the blooming gossamers of flowers. Jellal

was lying on top of her, his hands on either side of her head. Erza's breathing quickened at their close proximity as she stared into his jade eyes, flecked with

yellow and brown. He had such beautiful eyes, she thought. A fierce longing and desire swept over her, she craved to touch his face, to let her fingers drift over

every perfect angle of his face. Then she felt something cool brush her cheek and noticed the slim hand of the blue haired man. She saw in his eyes the same

desire she felt. Her legs felt weak under her and her arms shook uncontrollably as her heart bounced around erratically in her chest; she was sure he could hear

it hammering against her ribcage. On the other side, Jellal's resolve and resilience were slowly slipping away through his firm grasp. All this time he had

suppressed these feelings, going as far as lying to her face. He was afraid and excited at the same time. The fear of bringing her into the danger he was

surrounded by was suffocating; he didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had. He desperately tried to move away, to stop himself but his body

wouldn't listen to reason. When he finally felt the warmth of her lips on his lips all his worries disappeared like a nightmare forgotten as one wakes up. He

revelled in the feeling of her tender lips against his. He allowed his mouth to carefully explore every corner of hers and their tongues battled for dominance.

They broke away, Jellal keeping Erza's face close enough to feel her sweet breath flutter over his skin, breathing heavily before locking lips again. This time the

kiss was more passionate than unsure, as Erza bit his lip and grabbed his hair to pull him closer to her. She ran her fingers through his tangled tufts of blue hair

and knotted her hand into a fist, while placing her other on his sculpted chest, feeling the muscles under his light linen shirt. She etched her finger across every

part of his flawless upper body, eventually winding her hands around his neck. Jellal let his hands roam down her sides, feeling the hot skin underneath his

fingers, exploring her flat stomach beneath her dress. In a sudden wave of reason he realized what he was doing and pulled away quickly. Erza gazed at him

questionably, posing a silent question.

"M-my fiancé," he uttered. Erza's face grew annoyed at his statement.

"For the love of god Jellal, stop trying to get out of this with petty excuses that are obviously lies!" She groaned with a slightly raised voice. His mouth hung a

little askew as their eyes locked. Finally, he gave up and shot her a lopsided grin. He cupped her cheek in his hand and pressed his lips to her forehead, taking in

the soft luscious scent that wafted of her skin. Erza relished in the way his fingers caressed her skin and held still under his grip. Jellal pulled Erza's light frame

into his lap; her head nestled under his chin where she allowed herself drift and listen to the rush of the ocean. As he traced patterns on the small of her back,

her stared into the burning sky. Light and darkness mixing in a fiery display of colors, while the sun battled with the moon and the stars.

"I love you Erza," he muttered into her hair, cradling her in his arms, never wanting to let her go. Erza felt butterflies in her stomach making her feel dizzy with

happiness.

"I love you too," she told him, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

They stayed there wrapped in each other's arms enjoying the feeling of finally being able to be together.

**Author's note: ** **Fear not, this is just the beginning of Jellal and Erza's tragic relationship. **


End file.
